Montana Grizzlies Sports, Football and Basketball : Grizzoulian

Montana State University's football stadium is terrible. It has heinous fairground-like metal bleachers and an old looking grandstand. The worst part: it's probably one of the best in our conference and is second only to UM in conference attendance. The Big Sky Conference: where D-1 ball at high school football stadiums happens.

Anyway, they're looking to make some major improvements. I have to say... not too shabby.

Going off the video, it looks great. Their goal is to have 22,000 seats in eight years. Two major problems: the money and whether or not they can even put fans in that many seats. If I recall correctly, there were even a few empty seats for last year's Griz-Cat game. Not good.

However, this video and these plans would get me legitimately pumped to be a Cat fan. I almost want to donate money myself.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The posts haven't been as frequent as we sink into the offseason and the Missoula weather starts to change but here's something new: the first ever Grizzoulian podcast. I hope to do one more this month then make it a more consistent feature in the fall.

My guest on the first one is University of Montana Athletic Director Jim O'Day. We start by talking about next years hoops team then move onto football scheduling, the draft, the expansion and more.

• Download The Grizzoulian podcast

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

There'd been rumors floating around about where Cameron Rundles would end up transferring to, with the initial thought being Wayne State. That doesn't appear to be the case.

It looks like Cameron Rundles is headed to Wofford, the same tiny school that upset us in football. Wofford plays in the SoCon, a Division I conference. So, I believe he will have to sit out a year.

Well, good luck as a Terrier.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

For the tenth year in a row, the Montana Grizzlies football team exited spring practices with the title of “reigning Big Sky Champions.” In August, they’ll resume practices and begin preparing for a season that could hold their fifteenth consecutive playoff appearance. Until Missoula brings another gorgeous autumn and with it, football season, Griz football fans can only talk and speculate. There’s one debate that reigns over all the rest. It’s something every passionate Griz fan has an opinion on: whether or not the Griz have grown too big and too good for this level of competition.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (12)
• Trackbacks

We've all seen them so I feel like it fits in on this blog. The great barstoolio (via Deadspin) gives a college football version of these ads.

I'm not great with Photoshop so I can't fix these and take the text out but if someone wants to make a not too terrible UM version, I'll toss it right up.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Taken during a lacrosse game inside the stadium.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Above is the last regular season game for now NFL-players Lex Hilliard, Kroy Biermann and Dan Carpenter. Hilliard gets three touchdowns, Biermann chases down a wide receiver way down field and Carpenter knocks a couple big ones through, including a 50-yarder.

After the jump are highlights from Biermann's award-winning season.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Appalachian State gets even more love as their November 1st game against Wofford gets pushed back a day so the game can be televised Halloween night on ESPN2.

There are numerous intriguing storylines that make the matchup appealing for ESPN2’s national audience. The contest pits the defending Southern Conference co-champions and is the first between the two teams since Appalachian had its 17-game winning streak snapped by Wofford, 42-31, last Sept. 22 in Spartanburg, S.C. ASU rebounded from the loss to Wofford to go 13-2 en route to its third-straight NCAA Division I national championship, while Wofford (9-4) earned the SoCon’s automatic postseason bid and advanced to the national quarterfinals.

The timing's not great as there will be a decent chunk of people out doing whatever adults or college students do on Halloween, but whatever, it's exposure for the FCS and App State program. Good for them.

So, will something like this ever happen for Montana? One of two things would have to happen: we'd need to get lights. ESPN2 could be interested in a Friday night Cat-Griz game under the lights. It's one of the oldest rivalries in college football and, along with App State, Missoula is one of the best FCS venues in the nation. Otherwise, we have to schedule someone great. An App State, Georgia Southern, what have you. Even then, you probably still have to beat Michigan and win a string of National Championships.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The 2008 NFL draft was pretty kind to the subdivision formerly know as I-AA. The FCS got 24 players drafted by NFL teams. The Bison Media Blog has them all:

Round Pick # Overall Team Athlete Pos. School
2008 Draft 24 student-athletes
1 16 16 Arizona Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee State
1 18 18 Baltimore Joe Flacco QB Delaware
2 15 46 Cincinnati Jerome Simpson WR Coastal Carolina
2 27 58 Tampa Bay Dexter Jackson WR Appalachian State
3 3 66 Miami Kendall Langford DT Hampton
3 16 79 Houston Antwaun Molden CB Eastern Kentucky
3 17 80 Philadelphia Bryan Smith OLB McNeese State
3 33 96 Washington Chad Rinehart OT Northern Iowa
4 4 103 Tennessee William Hayes DL Winston-Salem St.
4 26 125 Oakland Arman Shields WR Richmond
4 34 133 Baltimore David Hale OT Weber State
5 11 146 Detroit Jerome Felton FB Furman
5 14 149 Arizona Tim Hightower RB Richmond
5 19 154 Atlanta Kroy Biermann OLB Montana
5 25 160 Tampa Josh Johnson QB San Diego
6 11 177 Cincinnati Corey Lynch FS Appalachian State
6 14 180 Washington Kareem Moore DB Nicholls State
6 27 193 Minnesota Jaymar Johnson WR Jackson State
6 34 200 Philadelphia Joe Mays ILB North Dakota State
6 38 204 Miami Lex Hilliard RB Montana
6 41 207 Cincinnati Matt Sherry TE Villanova
7 3 210 Kansas Brian Johnston DE Gardner-Webb
7 12 219 Buffalo Demetrius Bell OT Northwestern State
7 18 225 Arizona Brandon Keith OT Northern Iowa

Besides the 24 total, four were taken in the first two rounds. Also, Montana had as many as Appalachian State. Then again, I believe Montana lost more seniors.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Both Hilliard and Biermann get their shot in the NFL through draft. Now two more Montana Grizzly football players will get a chance as undrafted free agents. Offensive tackle Cody Balogh will get a chance with the Chicago Bears and Dan Carpenter signed with the Miami Dolphins.

With Lex drafted, the Dolphins now have two Grizzlies. Maybe they saw Carpenter knocking a 50-yarder through while watching Lex rip apart the Cats. The Dolphins would've had three Grizzlies, but they cut Tuff Harris the day before the draft.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks